


Call This Home

by Starshaker



Series: One More Reason [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Almost could be canon if you squint and hold on to your suspension of disbelief, Day At The Beach, Fluff, Gen, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Injury Recovery, M/M, Merman Finn, Shapeshifting, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 03:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5952232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Finn wakes up Poe and Rey are both off world. Rey tracking down Luke Skywalker and Poe off on another classified mission. He makes a few new friends in their absence on the Resistance put him to work for their cause.<br/>Poe eventually come back, exhausted and touch starved and in dire need of being able to relax. To help with Finn's physio and recovery he suggests a day out off base to a nearby beach. </p><p>Poe is a complete sap and Finn remembers something pretty important about who he was before the First order (Do not check tags if you want it to stay a surprise)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Call This Home

When Finn wakes up Rey and Poe are both off on missions, and instead there’s a dark haired woman grinning at him. She tells him she’s really glad he’s woken up. He didn’t stay conscious for very long but Jessika comes back every day he’s stuck in medical. She tells him stupid stories about Poe when he’s fed up of the same four walls, and when the painkillers are waning she holds his hand and tells him about Luke Skywalker. The metal holding his back together doesn’t seem so prominent with her distractions. 

He misses Rey and Poe and BB8, but Jess fills him in with any information that comes in from them. By the time he leaves medical he has a new firm friend in her and he walks into the mess hall for the first time feeling only slightly overwhelmed. When he sits down it’s around people who immediately accept him, without probing or apprehension. It’s like a whole family in the resistance had just been waiting for him. 

Its overwhelming. The feeling builds up inside him until he can’t hear any indistinct conversation over the rush of every noise in the room. He knows his breathing’s too fast and the guy to his right is asking him something.

He pushes himself up from the tables and dashes out through the doors and ends up lost, in an empty corridor where he slides to the floor, his back against the wall. The cool wall against his back is soothing as he tries to breath more steadily. He didn’t know how long it was but the first movement he detects is someone walking slowly towards him and sitting down beside him. He doesn’t look up, doesn’t want to see the look on whomevers face thinks he’s worth their time.

“I brought you some food,” Jess says and he lifts his head from his knees, “Too much all at once huh? You’re not the first, won’t be the last. You want me to shut up while you process?”  
He nods and takes the bread roll and apple from her outstretched hand.  
“Thanks,”  
She nods in return and leans back, pulling her own food from her pocket. She leant back and ate with one hand as she thumbs through a holopad with the other. 

“Is there any more news from Rey or Poe?” He asks, finally breaking the silence with the most familiar question he’s asked her since he woke up.  
“No, sorry kid. Oh but General Organa wants to talk to you tomorrow, ‘bout whether you still want to stay with the resistance,”  
“I do!”  
“Then we’re gonna set you to work kid, no slackers round here. ‘Cept maybe Snap but he proves himself every other month or so, so we forget he’s a useless lump the rest of the time,”  
“I can work. Where would I work?”  
“Intel will probably interrogate you for a couple of weeks, about anything and everything you know about the First Order. Once medical clears you fully we’ll get you trained up, check your skills and reflexes,”  
“But I can stay? Just like that?” Finn asks, surprised and excited all at once.  
“Yeah Finn, ‘course. You’re one of us now, if you want to be,” Finn felt a smile grow across his face and he leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around Jess’ shoulders in a hug. “Hey, it’s no big deal,” She said lightly. She wraps her arms around him gently in return anyway. Finn feels her pat his back carefully, “Dameron will be damn glad you’ve decided to stay though. I was given strict instructions you’d be here when he and Rey get back,” She muttered beside Finn’s ear.  
“I’ve more reasons to stay now too,” He says with a smile and he felt the hitch in her breathing.  
“Don’t you make me soft, Finn” She warned but her hold didn’t loosen, in fact her arms tightened, “Don’t you dare,”.

 

When Poe had realised he could get home two days earlier than he’d estimated he didn’t hesitate to jump straight into the cockpit and fly without sleep for twenty hours. Even BB8 had powered off for a couple of hours, but after a month away from the resistance base and having to constantly watch his back, Poe was desperate to be amongst family again. 

When he touched down it was the middle of the night. The base was quiet apart from a few maintenance droids, and the outlook communications officer who’d acknowledged him on entry and guided him down. He shushes BB8 as the little droid squeals in excitement and races in a large circle around him and the fighter.

“They won’t be glad to see us if you wake them all up y’know,”  
“Not all of us need beauty sleep like you Dameron,” He glances up to see Jess slowing from a jog across the grounds. She’s grinning and home really feels like home when you’ve got someone to meet you on the landing strip.  
“Jess!” Poe doesn’t hesitate in rushing over to her and hugs her as hard as he can.

“Watch the shoulder Dameron,” She shoves him away and drops a hand to BB8’s head as the droid bumped into her side. “Not all of us went off cruising the galaxy for three months,”  
“Sorry, sorry. What’s happened are you alright? Which shoulder?” Poe asks worried.

“It’s what I get when I lose a bet to Snap. Don’t worry about it.” She waves him off and rolled her right shoulder slowly to stretch it out, “Finn’s helping me get my own back anyway,” She turns to head back inside and Poe falls into step beside her, BB8 flanking her other side.

“Is he okay?” He asks, “Finn, I mean,” The last he’d seen Finn he still had an open gash across his back and was under about five different layers of chemicals keeping him comfortable and unconscious.

“He’s fine. He hates his physio almost as much as you do, but he’s good. He’s been more worried about you and Rey. How you doing? All in one piece?”  
“One exhausted piece,” He admits running a hand through the back of his hair, “Does the general want to see me?”  
“It can’t wait til morning, unless it’s urgent?” Jess shrugs but looks up at him to check.  
“Important, not urgent,” He nods and BB8 agrees.

“Then I’ll take the rag for turning off your alarm,” She throws an arm around him, as they “Uh, Finn’s been using your room, been a bit short on space, lots of new volunteers since starkiller went down. Since you weren’t due back he hasn’t moved out yet,” She side eyes him as she explains but it’s water off a birds back to Poe. 

“Oh, I’ll just grab some night clothes and find a spare bench then,” Poe’s slept in and on a lot more uncomfortable things. He doesn’t need four walls around him and to lock out the world to get a few hours sleep.  
“Use my bunk,” Jess insists pushing him on past his room as they near it, “Our Finn’ll have taken his painkillers for the night, they kind of slow him down,”  
“I won’t wake him up if I can help it,” He slows despite Jess’ insistence“Just want to grab my night stuff so I can change,” He tells her and then his brain catches up with her phrasing, “Our Finn?” He asks raising an eyebrow.  
“Oh he’s definitely ours. I was there when he first woke up, scared and in pain but didn’t ask a single question about himself or how bad it was. All about Rey, you, BB and Chewie,”  
“He’s kind of amazing isn’t he,” He looks up at the still closed door of his, no, Finn’s room.  
“Your crush is a mile high Dameron,”Jess says as she punches in the arm, “Remind me again how long you’ve actually known him for,” She chuckled and pressed a hand over his mouth when he went to reply, “Look I should probably get back to my station but grab your stuff and use my room, okay. I’m on through til breakfast anyway,”  
“Thanks Jess, I owe you”  
“Of course you do,” She says as she pulls away and starts heading back down the corridor, “You missed my birthday too,”  
“But you had one last year!” He calls back to her and she laughs dancing back on her feet to face him.  
“Get some sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow okay,” She salutes and turns.  
“Night,” He called after her. “Hey BB8 you go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you okay, you’re as tired as me, right?” BB8 coos and rolls slowly down the corridor and Poe opened his own door just far enough that he could slip inside.

 

Poe doesn’t need to switch the lights on to find his way round the room. He drops his flight suit to the floor and pulls out a drawer he expects to find his sleep clothes in. He finds the top and bottom by feeling along the hems and then as he pulls the top over his head his hands brush something on the wall. He recognises his old jacket from the touch. He runs his hands lightly over the back of it and feels thick uneven stitching over the length of it.

Suddenly a light shines at him from a holopad pointed at him from near the bed. He winces as his eyes struggle to adjust.  
“Poe?” He hears Finn croak, sleep addled and raw. Poe feels instantly guilty for having woken him up.  
“Hey, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you,”  
“Poe, it’s, it’s you,” Finn doesn’t sound very sure of himself.

“Yeah, it’s me. I got back a couple of days early.” Poe says quietly and he knows if he stays much longer he might not stay on his feet for very long, “I’m going to sleep in Jess’ room okay, just go back to sleep we’ll catch up in the morning,”  
“Can you,- Ahh,” The holopad dropped from his grip and the room was plunged into darkness again as the thing hit the floor face down. 

“You okay buddy?” Poe asked taking a step forwards, his eyes adjusting faster now as he shuffles forwards.  
“I think, I’m dreaming,” Finn said quietly and then he sighed, “Are you really here?”.  
“I’m here,” He stepped forwards around the bed and patted around for Finn’s hand. The second he made contact his hand was gripped so tightly he couldn’t let go if he wanted to. “See, right here,”  
“Are you gonna go?” Finn asks, his voice is steadier now and Poe can feel Finn’s other hand reaching for him too.  
“Only to Jessika’s room, I’m sorry buddy I’m exhausted, couldn’t keep my eyes open if I tried,” He tries to let go and pull away but his attempt to extract himself from Finn’s grip are futile attempts.

“Could stay here,” He feels a tug on his hand as Finn shuffled back on the bed. Poe hesitated though despite it seeming like the best prospect. After months on his own he always found himself quite touch-starved and Finn wanted to have him there.

“Will you remember this in the morning? I just really don’t want you to freak out waking up with some guy in your bed,” It’s a poor excuse and Poe knows it.  
“Not just some guy,” Finn mumbles, “ ‘Sides I won’t freak out,” He shuffled back further on the bed, his grip still strong on Poe’s hand until Poe is forced to make the decision to stay.This could be a terrible decision even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. Poe pulls the covers over himself and reaches down to turn the light off on the holopad where it’s glowing into the floor.

“You sure?” He asks again over his shoulder but Finn doesn’t reply. Poe feels Finn roll back towards him so that Poe ends up cocooned in his warmth, their hands over his stomach. He’s too exhausted to believe how lucky he is.

“G’night Finn,”

 

In the morning they’re lying face to face, Finn’s got a hand fisted around the front of Poe’s nightshirt and Poe’s own hand is on Finn’s waist. Poe doesn’t realise he’s woken up until he’s staring into Finn’s eyes watching him in return. They both lie still for what feels like minutes until Poe’s uncertainty gets the better of him.

“Who talks first?” He asks hurriedly, “Do I talk first? I’d really like to hear you talk first,” His voice is soft but rushed, and the more awake he finds himself, the more embarrassed too.  
“I missed you,”  
“Yeah, I missed you too. How’s your back?” He taps his fingers lightly at Finn’s waist and wonders if he should get up and dressed, put some distance between them.

“Better, still hurts. I’m supposed to exercise it more than I have been,” Finn sighs and he ends up looking down rather than meeting Poe’s.  
“What sort of stuff?” Poe asks  
“Just stretches and repetitive stuff, been told swimming helps but the physio swim tank looks weird,” Finn cringes at his own words and Poe chuckles.  
“Yeah, the ‘aqua-effect’ gel in that recovery tank does look kind of weird but it’s fine I promise you. They had me in there once when I’d broken my leg,” Finn continues to scowl but he looks back up.

“Looks like the reconditioning tanks they had during training. If they had to do a complete mind wipe they’d use them. I saw some of them being used when I worked in sanitation,”

“Okay, no swim tanks,” Poe agrees. His hand is tracing lines up and down Finn’s waist absent-mindedly until an idea strikes him. “Hey, you could go swimming in the sea. There’s a great beach about twenty minutes south of here if we fly,”  
“We?” Finn asked, surprise evident and Poe nods excitedly.. 

“If you want, I mean... We don’t have to but-,”  
“I want to,”  
“Oh yeah of course,” Poe can’t contain his smile and they’re still lying so close to each other and Poe wants to wrap his arms fully round Finn’s waist and hold him even closer. 

BB8 chooses that moment to come running in shouting in beeps about how he’d woken up and there’d been no-one there. Upon spotting Finn he immediately starts chattering quickly and from the look Finn shoots Poe, he can’t understand droid. 

“Slow down, we’ve only just woken up ourselves,” Poe says, as he rolls onto his back and reaches out a hand to pat the droid and calm him down. BB8 pauses for a moment and then starts hustling Poe to get up... and then he says General Leia wants to see him as soon as he’s available. 

“That’s the important part of the message, y’know buddy,” He says with a sigh, “I’ve got to go check in. Are you doing anything today? I could ask the general to give us both the day off,” He suggests leaning back onto the edge of the pillow and glancing back at Finn who’d pushed himself up onto his elbows. The blankets slid down to his waist and Poe could see the edge of his scar running down his back.

“I’m supposed to be training with my squad today. Hand-to-hand and weapons target practice,” Fin explains and Poe can’t help but be surprised Finn’s in training already. It seems like a big jump from the last time he saw Finn passed out in medical.

“Oh, I could always find another day. Do you want me to ask?” He asks. Finn’s eyes are wide and he’s still so close that Poe can reach out and touch him if he wanted to. He does want to but he stops himself.  
“You’d do that? To help me,”  
“Well, yeah. Up to you though, with any luck I’ll have a day or two of recovery due anyway,” He pushes himself to his feet, “I’m going to shower, okay. Let me know before I go,” Poe turns back and smiles briefly.

BB8 rolls in front of him and beeped twice impatiently.  
“I know. I’m sorry, okay buddy,” Poe taps it’s head and goes to shower. 

When he comes back Finn is sat on the floor, his back to the bed with BB8 next to him. Chattering.  
“I still can’t understand droids but it seemed really annoyed with you,” Finn says, his hand resting on the droid’s round casing. “Is everything alright?”

“We got ourselves in a bit of trouble didn’t we,” Poe said as he towels off his hair and pulls a light t-shirt from the drawers, “BB8 lost some coding when the ship got hit,” He pulls it over his head. He turns his back to Finn as he changes into some fresh pants and trousers. “I’ll fix you up later okay buddy. Or you could find Jess, she knows all about your systems,”

When Poe turns back he finds that Finn had stood up. His sleep pants hang low on his hips and Poe can’t help his eyes tracing down Finn’s chest and stomach. He tears his eyes back up to Finn’s when he begins to speak.

“Can you ask about us going out today?” Finn asks, “If you’re okay to fly today. Are you okay?” He looks hopeful but still like he doesn’t expect to receive what he’s asking for.  
“I’m good. And a day in the sun and fresh air will be parsecs better than my last few months,”  
“I’m really glad you’re back,” Finn says quietly and his eyes dart to the floor and then back up slowly to Poe.

“Yeah buddy, me too. I’m really glad you’re back on your feet. Had me worried the whole time I was off world,” He reached out tentatively and the caught himself before his hand reached Finn’s. He pulled back and turned away quickly. He passed over his fight jacket in favour of a lighter jacket. “If I head out now and fill in General Organa, I'll probably be done by lunch. Can I come find you when I’m done?” He glanced back and Finn was smiling and Poe felt his own shy smile grow to mirror it.  
“Yeah, yeah do,”  
“Come on BB8, we’ve got work to do,” He nods back to Finn and made a hasty exit with BB8 on his heel. 

 

The door of his room had only just shut behind him when he hears Jess call from behind him.  
“You have no shame do you?” He immediately turns . She was stood about a hundred feet back down the corridor with her arms crossed and her brow raised with scepticism. 

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” He replies, crossing his own arms.  
“We’re going to have words Dameron,” She calls back to him and then her words were cut off with a yawn, “Later,”  
“Sleep well Testor,”  
“Not as well as you, clearly,” He laughs and she waves as she turns back down the corridor towards her room.

“Ran into Jess this morning did you?” He asks BB8 who beeps out a ‘maybe’ and then shoots ahead towards the General’s command centre and office. 

“Traitor,” Poe mutters half heartedly as he follows it’s path.

 

General Leia kept him for only an hour. The key points he could relay to her and inform her advisers but most of his data was in BB8’s memory and behind a dozen damaged circuits.  
“Is your droid going to let anyone but yourself operate on it?” She asks, as BB8 peered out from behind Poe’s legs with a cooing beep.  
“Sorry General. BB8’s led a spoilt life,” Poe looks down sympathetically at BB8 who duck back out of sight.  
“Make it a priority Dameron. Two days, no more,”  
“Yes ma’am,” He nods and kicks BB8 gently with his foot as The General rounds the table between them.

“If that’s all, besides your report, I’d suggest taking a few days off. You’ve earned it,” She places a hand on his shoulder as she leads him to the doorway of the main control room.  
“Thank you general, um-,” He starts and then feels embarrassed about asking for something further, but it’s for Finn so it’s not like he’s wasting her time, really.  
“Is there something else?” She asks.  
“Um, yes.” He said carefully, “Might I ask a favour?” She considers him and nods slowly. “Well, Finn said that swimming might help with his recovery so I wondered if I could take him down south to one of the beaches. If that’s allowed,”

Leia blinked twice and leant back slightly and Poe felt sure she was going to deny such a ridiculous request, until she reached a hand up and cupped his cheek. Around them he spotted multiple faces turn and eye the gesture with curiosity

“I worry for you like you were my own,” she paused, “and I'm glad you have another reason to come home,” She said quietly before dropping her hand away. “We’ll give the new recruits the afternoon off from training, should they wish it. They have tests in a few weeks and I’m sure they’d rather be having further time to study,”

“Thank you, General. I appreciate it,” He says, and from the faces still glancing up at them from around the room, anyone who’s overheard his request, is just as surprised as he is that it’s been granted.  
“You deserve it. Now go, I have to explain why I’ve just disrupted operations all over this base,” She says, waving her hands to shoo him off.  
“Do you happen to know...” He starts to ask when Leia cuts him off with a knowing look.  
“South side training and recreation hall,”  
“Thank you ma’am,” He says as he salutes her. She smiles in return.  
“You’re welcome,”  
“Say thank you BB8,” The little droid beeped excitedly and rolled around Poe and gently into the General’s legs.  
“Go, before I start piecing you back together myself. I know a thing or two about droids, you just ask C-3P0 or R2-D2 you little menace,”

 

Poe could spot Finn across the hall, despite him being within a group of a dozen near 300 feet away. The group were stood circled around a mat and from the shouts and tumbles Poe guess they were practising hand to hand combat of some sort. He kept to the edge of the hall but several recruits noticed him coming and their mutterings must have made Finn look up. He grins and makes his way through the other bodies to meet Poe.

“Rey would be great at this,” Finn says without greeting as he turns to glance back at the sparring session. They’re stood off to one side and Poe can feel Finn’s warmth through their brushing shoulders.  
“Yeah but she’s a one woman fighting machine from what you told the General,” Poe said, glancing over to the group who weren’t paying them any attention.  
“Scared the hell out of me first time I saw her, I’m better now though. I could hold my own,”  
“In your dreams, Finn,” Poe’s gaze shot up to a woman stood a few feet away and stepping away from the group. As she steps around them their gaze follows her to Finn and himself.  
“Hey ,I beat you first time round Sinsa, and you used my injury against me!” Finn protested but he was still smiling. She nods to Poe.  
“Who’s your friend?” She asks and Finn’s hand falls around his shoulder and almost pushes him forward.  
“This is Poe Dameron. He’s the best pilot there is,” Finn says and Poe feels a blush rise in his cheeks. He bites his lip and ducks his head and wills his blush to subdue. When he looks up the recruits are still staring at him and the fight on the mat has just been won by one or other party. 

“I’m not as great as that sounds y’know,” He says as he rubs a hand across the back of his neck.  
“You any good at this Dameron?” He hears a familiar voice from the other side of the recruit group. The crowd split as Porter Maddox steps out from the crowd. He’d been training recruits when Poe’s mother had been flying and still when Poe joined. He shakes Poe’s hand and greets him with a curt nod. “I seem to remember Miss Pava landing your ass on the mat in the first five seconds,”

“She started before the whistle,” Poe protested as the group around him broke out into laughter. Even Finn was chuckling beside him.

“Excuses, you should have been prepared,” Maddox waves him off and shoots a glance to his amused students.

“And you wouldn’t give a rematch,” Poe added in an attempt to regain some dignity in the eyes of his audience.

“Madness is repeating the same action and expecting a different result,” Maddox said, a look of amusement on his face, a challenge even.

“Try it now. We’ve got a competition going,” The girl calls out, Sinsa, who’d first greeted him from the group.  
“Yeah okay, who am I up against?” He says cockily. Maddox smiles schemingly and glances back to his training group.  
“You and Finn,” He suggests, “Friendly rivalries are to be encouraged, am I right?”  
“Why do I get the feeling you and Jess are too close for the rest of our well being Captain?” Poe says. He narrows his eyes in mock suspicion and Maddox retains his look of calm confidence.  
“Are you chicken, Dameron?” Finn asks him Poe turns quickly in shock. Finn’s expression doesn’t show it but there’s a look of glee and daring in his eyes.

“You wanna do this buddy?” He challenges back. He squares up to Finn with a poorly suppressed smile teasing it’s way out. 

“Yeah! I’m a lean mean fighting machine, ask anyone,” Finn cocks his head up despite a round a chuckles and laughs in their audience. 

“Sure you are buddy, come on,” He knocks his elbow into Finn’s side as he turns to the group, “Give me your best,” He dares cockily and steps towards the centre mat. The crowd parted for him. He sheds his jacket and throws it to the side. A rumble of excitement builds in the group all around them as Finn takes his place opposite him.. “Just sparring right? We got rules or-?”

Maddox blew his whistle and Finn’s hand darted out and caught his shoulder. And he had to shift his footing back to keep his balance. He ducks as another hit shot out to the same shoulder and as he shifts his footing again Finn shoots forward and catches his foot behind Poe’s knee. 

Poe’s balance was lost to him and he grabs for Finn and tries to push him round to fall first on the mat. He suddenly realises that landing on his back wasn’t going to be as bad as Finn landing on his back. He lets go. Poe lands on his side and a pain shot through his elbow. He tries to push himself back up and he cries out and his joints protest. The pressure holding him down immediately disappears.

“Are you okay?” Finn is straddling his waist and his hands hovering over Poe’s sides. Poe takes a quick stock of himself and nods. He watches Finn’s smile and breath of relief overtake him for a moment until it becomes impossible to ignore the fact that they’re still surrounded by Finn’s training group.  
“No wonder you were a crap stormtrooper,” Poe hears someone shout from the crowd, probably Sinsa.  
“No, I, wait. Technically I won though right,” Finn protests. His attention shifting through the crowd, his eye tripping from one face to another. He rests back on Poe’s stomach without thinking about it, 

“Okay you lot we’ll finish this tomorrow. General Organa has given all trainees the day off. Go make yourself productive!” Maddox shouts over their noise and the focus is suddenly off Finn and Poe.

“Is that because you asked?” Finn whispers, he leans forward slightly as he speaks like he’s hiding a secret.  
“Didn’t ask for everyone. General must have been feeling lenient,” Poe tries to shrug but he was still pinned to the mat.

“I beat you!” Finn whispers gleefully. The grin still plastered across his face  
“You were awesome,”He confirms, “ Think I can get up now though?” Finn stumbles back looking apologetic.  
“Oh yeah, sorry.” He stood quickly and offers Poe a hand to help him to his feet. He steadies himself with a hand on Finn’s other arm. As the rest of the class files out he asks quietly beside Finn’s ear.  
“You want to go to the beach with me today?”  
“Yes,” 

 

They didn’t talk as they flew over the landscape but when they touch down and the roof is pushed back, Finn jumps down to look around before Poe had reached to remove his helmet. BB8 too was on the ground and keeping pace with Finn jogging down towards the sea. 

Poe types into the console to reroute communications to BB8 and hopes that part of the little droid’s circuits didn’t need tweaking. He pulls himself up, grabs the bag of towels and snacks and locks up the pod.

He drops the bag on the sand bank above the tide line and sees Finn standing down at the edge of the waves staring out to the horizon. Poe toes off his shoes and jogs down to meet him.

“Did I pick alright? There’s another beach a few minutes down from here. Less sand more pebbles so I thought,-”  
“Yeah, it’s great. I didn’t used to look at planets like this,” He says, “Can we swim here?”  
“Yeah buddy go ahead. You might want to take some layers off first though. Keep ‘em dry for later,”  
“Oh, right,” He nods, “Can you help me with my shirt? It kind of pulls at my scar,”  
“Sure,” Poe reaches forward and catches the hem between his fingers and pulls it gently round and up over Finn’s head. The scar was scabbed over but still had redness around it’s edged and a crack had a dried patch of blood over it. 

“Did I do that? When we sparred?” He reaches up, his hand hovering over the cut.  
“No, that was something else. It was an accident,” He twists to look at Poe over his shoulder, “It was my own fault,”  
“The seawater might sting if it’s raw,” He says but Finn shrugs it off as he folds his trousers and hands them to Poe too. Poe’s eyes dart over Finn’s body and is momentarily glad of the things in his hands stopping him from having a reason to make a fool of himself.

“Are you coming in too?” Finn asks when Poe doesn’t move to change himself.  
“Let me just put these back where they won’t get soaked,” He nods up the shore and then jogs back to where he’d dropped the pack. BB8 follows him.  
“Sorry BB8, even if you could float it’d be no good for your circuits in this state,” The droid wasn’t happy, “You didn’t have to come,”

BB8 instead spun in a tight circle and made itself a small furrow in the sand, and then from an upper panel emerges a solar energy panel. “Keep an eye on the comms for me okay, shouldn’t be anything but just in case,” BB8 agrees and Poe throws his own clothes down in a heap beside Finn’s folded ones.

When he looks up towards the sea Finn was gone. Poe wades in glancing around wondering if Finn had just ducked under the water without Poe spotting him. As he ducks beneath the waves to the calmer water there was still no sight of Finn. 

“Finn! Finn!” He feels something brush against his leg that felt more fish like than kelp and much bigger too. Poe felt a chill go through him at the thought of something in the water; something that could have taken Finn down under the water without a splash or sound. He daren’t call out again in case he was attracting something’s attention. He turns slowly and a few metres away in a flick of water Finn surfaced and glides through the water towards him.

“You having fun out here?” Poe asks, a wave of relief pulsing through him at the sight of Finn  
“It was like an itch and I wanted to be consumed by it,” He says in a rush, “ and then I just.. Remembered. Mum used to swim with me and then I just changed,”  
“Changed?” Poe asks warily. He cocks his head to one side as he tries to decipher Finn’s meaning.

“I just...” Finn ducks his head and twists and suddenly Finn’s top half disappears beneath the water and a dark purple tail fin surfaces. Then seconds later it disappears and Finn bobs back up to the surface. “Changed,”  
Poe wants so say something but the sight had left him stunned  
“Poe?” Finn says moving closer slowly as if he thought a sudden movement would have Poe running a mile. Poe knows he has to pull himself together to, at the very least, ease his friend’s now worried expression.  
“I feel like I missed something, like way too much sleep. Finn you look...”  
“Different,” Finn suggests and Poe nods.  
“Yeah. Yeah, definitely different. You, you have a tail. Like a fish or, or a...” He feels like an idiot. It’s still Finn in front of him but getting his head around how it’s Finn with a tail just isn’t processing.  
“Is it bad?” Finn asks, “It shouldn’t be bad. I mean- is the resistance going to make me leave. Poe don’t tell them,”  
“No, Finn it’s just a surprise,and no-ones going to make you leave,” He says, reaches out but through the water he can’t reach Finn to reassure him.  
“Right. Yeah, good,” Finn says as he continues to move out of Poe’s space. Poe glances down and the water beneath them seemed to clear and Finn’s tail is closer and he can see it clearly through the water.  
“I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to,” He assures Finn but he still feels a question burst forward “Can you change back?”  
“Yeah, I think. Do you hate it?” Finn asks biting his bottom lip. He looks scared and insecure and Poe wants to take that all from him.  
“No!”  
“Then I really don’t want to right now,” Finn says firmly and Poe nods, “Come swim with me,” Finn darts forward and grabs Poe’s hand towing him into the water with a splash and Poe only just catches his breath in time. Finn’s hand slips from his but Poe swims on in Finn’s wake until he realises Finn is circling him as he presses forwards. 

“I thought you were injured,” Poe says, as he pauses and treads water for a moment. He can feel himself using muscles rarely exercised and he knows he’ll sleep well, and wake up with aching muscles all over again too. Finn appears at his side floating on his back and lazily wafting his tail over the surface to keep him in place.  
“I don’t feel it,” Finn says. He turns his head to one side despite the seawater obviously getting in his eyes.  
“You look really good, like, at home in the water,”  
“It feels good,” Finn twists round in the water and sculls closer. “Your hair’s gone all flat,” He reached out and Poe feels him pick at his hair.  
“Yeah, just wait til I dry off, I look like a crazy person,” Poe says as Finn pulls away and Poe shakes his head to free all the loose water droplets  
“You act like a crazy person,”  
“Hey!” He splashes Finn, “You’re friends with a crazy person,”  
“All my friends are crazy,”  
“You know that probably says something about you,” Finn laughs and twists through the water and Poe is thrown backwards. He’s laughing so hard that he swallows some water and chokes. He recovers and then takes off swimming after Finn until Finn’s wake in the water disappears and Poe’s left waiting. He ducks his head beneath the water and tries to spot any movement but as he twists in the water he can’t see anything but the sea bed and the dappled shadows of the waves. He surfaces and Finn is nowhere to be seen.

“I know you’re out there,” He calls out to the empty sea.  
“Out where?” Finn’s voice comes from right behind him and he startles and splashes. Finn’s laughing and Poe gets to tackle him and catch him off guard this time. He catches Finn by his shoulders and as they plunge through the water Finn grabs him by the waist. Poe pushes him away to surface and catch his breath. 

“There’s something on the ground under the water,” Finn says as he surfaces beside Poe.  
“What’s it look like?”  
“Shiny,”  
“Show me,” Finn grabs his hand and Poe takes a deep breath just before he’s pulled under. 

Finn pulls him a few metres and there on the sea bed is a small glittering gold and green circle. Finn lets go of his hand as Poe reaches for it but he stays at Poe’s side. The circle looks like a bracelet, half an inch wide. He hands it to Finn who grins and mouths ‘Rey’. 

Poe grins and nods before pulling himself across the sea bed in search of anything else.. Finn glides along beside him glancing around himself, his hands dart out to touch the kelp breezing in the currents and the rocks smoothed by the tides. Poe has to push back up to the surface a couple of times to catch his breath but when he dives back down Finn meets him and stays close.

 

Poe swims over to a tower of stones stacked a couple of feet high. Finn is a few metres behind him but still clearly in sight. Poe circles the stones and on the opposite side near the base there’s an opening. He skulls down to look better and inside he spots something glittering in the shadows. Poe reaches inside but the size of the small opening is deceptive and Poe ends up with his whole arm extended in the mound of rocks reaching for whatever trinket is inside. His breath is running out as Finn circles round behind him and looks at him inquisitively. Finn swims past close and leans on the rocks to see better what Poe’s doing. Poe glances up and smiles as Finn leans on the above rocks looking down with interest. 

The rocks suddenly give and Poe’s arm is wedged inside. The pain causes him to yelp and what felt like the last of his breath escapes him. 

He desperately yanks at his arm but all it does is hurt more. He tries to pull some of the rocks on top away but with only one arm and little leverage it’s a poor effort. Finn’s equally frantic in pulling rocks away but Poe can feel his lungs start to burn and he knows he can’t breathe in but will probably do so any minute involuntarily.  
His vision starts to blur and he knows he isn’t putting enough effort into escaping as his eyes shut but he can’t think clearly enough to do what needs to. 

Arms circle beneath his armpits and he vaguely knows he’s being dragged to the surface.  
“Poe! Poe come on!” He chokes out the water from his mouth and his eyes sting and his whole body hurts but he’s above water and breathing. He clings to Finn with everything he’s got until he can breathe deeply and steadily.

“Are you alright?”Finn asks when he stops choking for breath.  
“Yeah, yeah I’m good,” His voice is shaky, “Think I need a time out on dry land though y’know,”  
“Sure,” Poe can feel Finn’s tail brush against him as he keeps them both afloat. Finn’s arm is around Poe’s back and Poe’s over Finn’s shoulders. Slowly they move towards the shore until Finn curses under his breath and Poe pulls away slightly to look at him with a questioning look. He realises there’s solid ground beneath his feet and he takes some but not all of his weight off Finn’s shoulders.

“Uh, I can’t remember how to turn back.” He admits quickly, his eyes darting between the beach and Poe, “I’ll change back when I dry off but Mum used to change in the water, I think, and carry me out,”  
“Right,” Poe nods and glances at Finn and then the distance to the beach. “Come here, I can help,”  
“Are you sure?” Finn eyes him dubiously and Poe shrugs.  
“Worth trying, I’ve got my breath back now,”  
“Okay,” Finn agrees but continues to eye Poe with a vague distrust. He swims close enough for Poe to reach down and try to scoop Finn up in his arms. Finn’s arms wrap around his neck and Poe tries to get a grip under Finn’s tail but the thick muscle is slippery and Poe is still exhausted from days of flying. He tries to lift him but his footing slips and both of them tumble back into the water. 

“Finn, you okay?” He asks immediately when he manages to push himself back up.  
“Yeah, are you?”  
“I’m good. I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m up to carrying you,” He glanced around and spotted the rocky cliff overhang. “Think you can climb up there to dry off?”  
“Yeah, that might work,”  
“Race you,” Poe says, even though he knows he’s in no shape to win any challenge of the sort. Finn agrees anyway. 

 

Poe knows Finn slows himself down since they both reach the rocks in about the same time. Poe begins pulling himself up onto the rocks before turning to see Finn treading water below. Once Poe is clear when Finn pulls himself up and Poe offers him a hand getting higher onto the drier rocks.  
“You okay there buddy?” Poe asks when Finn’s sat back leaning against the rocks.  
“Yeah, yeah I think so. Did you see me? I can just, go,” He shoots a hand out in front of him towards the sea and the horizon.  
“You’re awesome buddy, “ He says as he sit down next to him. The rocks are warm on his skin and when he runs a hand through his hair the excess water trails down his back and leaves a trail across the dry sandy coloured rocks. “Hey, we could find your home world, smaller pool of candidates if we’re looking for shape shifting and tails,”

“Oh, uh.” Finn starts picking at his hands and Poe reaches out a hand to his shoulder.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I don’t know if I want to,” Finn admits quietly.  
“Oh okay,”  
“I’m just scared, I think.”  
“Can you remember much of home?” Poe asks and immediately regrets it. There are very few good answers to come from that question. Finn shakes his head.  
“No but it’s just... This feels really new to me, even if I guess its been here my whole life,” He waves a hand down his body

“That’s okay. It’s always up to you, okay,”  
“Thanks,”

“Is it rude if I ask how it feels?” Poe asks but Finn brightens at the slight change in subject and shakes his head.  
“No, here,” He grabs for Poe’s hand and presses it to his own hip. It’s cool and slippery, the scales felt like pockets of gel that overlap each other. Finn flicks the bottom of his tail up towards them and it sprays water over them both.  
“Hey!” Poe shouts as a shower of cold water droplets spray over them.  
“Sorry,” Finn says, and he leans it away again, his expression sheepish. Poe reaches for it and it wafts his way again.

“Finn this is, You’re just amazing, you know that,” Poe found that he couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop wanting to run his hands over the ridges of Finn’s tail. He could trace the colouring as it merged from deep purples to blues to the dark of his skin at his waist. Finn flinches and catches Poe’s hand in his own..  
“Sorry, did I do something?” Poe asks. He glances up to find the reason for the sudden movement.  
“Just tickles, feels a bit weird too,”  
“I’ll stop,” He pulls away but Finn keeps his hand in his.  
“You don’t think it’s weird?” Finn asks with a frown.  
“Only cause it’s new. It’s a part of you though right?” Finn nods slowly as Poe speaks, his smile returning, small but confident, “Nothing bad about it then is there,” He says returning the smile and then leaning back on his hands to feel the sun’s warmth across his whole front.

“We picked the right day for it,” Poe says after a while and he wonder if the sun today is strong enough to darken his tan skin  
“Can we come out here again?”  
“Any time you like, here or along the coast a bit. I’m sure we could clear it with the General every once in a while,” Poe says. Next time he asks though he’s not going to do it in front of the entire logistics unit. 

“I like it here,” Finn says, looking up across the beach. Poe watches his face though, his profile lit up in the sunlight and glistening from the water dripping from his hair. He looks down at Poe still smiling, “Thank you,”  
“You’re welcome, but it’s not like it’s a burden to come out here with you. I’m having fun too, besides this,” He lifts his arm where redness and bruises are beginning to blossom from his wrist to his upper arm.  
“Sorry about that,”  
“What? No hey, this ones on me. I’m sure someone’s told me over the years not to stick my hand in random holes just because I see something shiny at the bottom of it,”

“This one looks good though,” Finn holds up the bracelet they’d initially found, the green Poe though might be tarnishing is in fact veins running though the whole thing. It’s a beautiful piece and he rubs his fingers round it to remove some of the dirt.  
“Rey’ll love this, gold for the sand on Jakku and green for all the trees and plants she loves,” Finn explains and Poe passes it back to him. 

“You had any news from her since she left, or since you woke up, I guess?” Poe asks. He’d only briefly met Rey at which point she’d eyed him cautiously and then said ‘So you’re BB8 and Finn’s friend. I trust you,’

“A couple of messages have come through, she’s okay. Training with Luke Skywalker. General Leia wants them to come back here to train so they’re safe. Last message came through about a week ago, just before yours did,”  
“Yeah, She’ll be having a much better time than I was. She’s got Chewie and R2 right? Her own dream team right there,”  
“Yeah, I still miss her though. She looks at people differently y’know.” He half shrugs and then tenses his hands pressing down on his tail. “Poe, I think something is happening,” He gasps and glances back as Poe sits up his own hands hovering without knowing how he could help.  
“Are you okay? Does it hurt?”  
“Like I've pulled a muscle or stretches too far, look!” The blues darkened and the skin parts and a deep furrow carved its way down until Fin’s two legs separate. “I’ve got legs again!”  
“That was.. Awesome, if slightly disturbing to watch happen. You’re okay though,”  
“Yeah but uh, I ripped my pants when I changed too,”  
“I’ll go grab the towels so you can cover up, not that you need to but uh well..You’ve still got your trousers over with BB8. Just change when we get back to the base,”  
“Should I wait here then?” Finn asks, looking up at him.  
“Uh yeah, if you want. I’ll be right back,” He nods trying not to let his eyes drift below Finn’s chest. He drops a hand to Finn’s shoulder as he pushes himself up, “Right back,” He carefully climbs across the rocks until he can jump down to the beach and jogs back round to where BB8 is nestled in the sand. He’s greeted with a small contented beep.

 

“Hey, enjoying yourself? Did you see Finn out there?” A beep replied in the affirmative but unsure, “And we’re not going to tell anyone at the base okay. Until he says so it’s no-one’s business but his own okay,” Poe reaches down a hand and pats BB8 as he dried himself a little with his other hand. He turns back to glance towards the rock to see if he could see Finn but instead his eyes were drawn much closer. Finn, complete with his tail, jumping gracefully through the water every few metres. Poe grabs the towels and jogs down to the shoreline as Finn appears in the crashing waves, walking on his two legs again.  
“I figured it out! Did you see me?” He asks quickly as he stumbles through the waves on the shore.  
“Yeah buddy,” He said as he throws him the towel. “You looked amazing. Get bored waiting for me or something?” He asks biting his lip as Finn wraps the towel around himself. He glances back to BB8 to train his eyes away from staring at Finn.

“No, but I just thought I should try and figure it out and it just feels, natural I guess,” He explains before pausing, “Sorry for making you walk back,” Poe feels a hand fall on his shoulder and he looks back to find Finn close at his side

“I don’t mind. You’re having a good day, that’s the whole point isn’t it?” Poe shrugs, an easy smile settles on his face. There was a beep from BB8 behind him that he didn’t quite catch. His eyes too focussed on the multitude of emotions crossing Finn’s face, his eyes never leaving Poe’s.

“I,-” Finn started and then pulled Poe into a crushing hug that nearly knocked him off his balance, “Thank you. I don’t-, I don’t deserve it but thank you,”  
“There are a lot of things wrong with that statement. Where’d you want me to start? The bit where you do deserve it kind of feels like it comes first,” He hears BB8 circle round behind them and shut his eyes to ignore him in favour of cataloguing this one moment in it’s every detail.

 

“Your droid wants you,”  
“It’s your droid too,” He sighs looking up at Finn and pulls away slightly. His eyes linger on Finn’s lips.

“I don’t speak droid,” Finn says and Poe chuckles and glances down.  
“Hey buddy, what’s up?” He asks and then listened as the little droid beeped it’s heart out, “Rey’s coming back,” He glances up at Finn, “You got your wish buddy, Rey’s coming back,”  
“When?” He asks and Poe looks to BB8 who recites it’s information.  
“A week tops,” He translates, “She’s bringing Luke Skywalker with her and she says that if you’re not waiting on the tarmac for her there’ll be trouble,”  
“That’s...” Finn is grinning and biting his lip and staring straight back at Poe with wide eyes full of happiness and anticipation.

“That’s great,” Poe said, his own excitement getting the better of him. He turns to Finn fully just as BB8 rolled forward to knock his legs and he finds himself much closer into Finn’s space than he was expecting. Then there was no gap between them at all as he pressed his lips gently and briefly to Finn’s. The gap between them vanished only for a few mere seconds and then Poe pulled back. Finn’s expression has dropped and he looks in shock. The pit of Poe’s stomach feels like it’s just disappeared into it’s own personal black hole.

“Was that alright?” Poe asks quickly. He was just an idiot who’d ruined everything and now Finn was stuck in the middle of nowhere with a guy who’d just made everything very uncomfortable.  
“That was,-” Finn starts and then nothing follows to complete the sentence.  
“Right sorry, I won’t do that again,” Poe says quickly but he can’t make his feet move to step away. He’s waiting for Finn to push him away  
“No I just,” Finn pulls him back in and presses an equally gentle kiss back to Poe’s lips, “Part of the best day ever,”  
“You’re serious,” Poe says, his head still in a daze. Finn nods. “Oh man, you have no idea,” He presses forwards and kisses Finn again just because he can and BB8 chatters at their feet. 

 

All of a sudden BB8 screams and rushes backwards as a wave crashes in too close for comfort for the little droid’s circuitry and Poe and Finn startle and pull apart.  
“Come on, maybe we should move too. We’re kind of getting soaked,” He glances over to BB8 who’s getting stuck trying to get back up the hill, “And I brought lunch,” Poe has too provide a boost to get it up the dune to where their stuff is. 

 

They sit and eat side by side and when there’s little but an errant cracker in the bottom of the pack Poe ends up lying down with his head in Finn’s lap.  
“Oh man, I'm exhausted, but a good exhausted,” He sighs and opens his eyes too look up at Finn.  
“I’m a good exhausted too,” Finn admits as he looks down and runs a hand through Poe’s now dry mess hair. 

“Sleep well tonight then huh?”  
“Yeah,” Finn agrees and then his hand stills, “Uh, should I ask for another room?”

“Oh uh, I don’t know” Poe sits up and turns to face Finn who’s frowning and picking at his hands, “You don’t have to but should have your own space though, and you’re pretty settled in that room. I’ve got about three things to my name, I can get a another room,”  
“Okay but, not tonight,” He looks up, “You’ve only just got back and I don’t need space, unless you need your space back,”

“No, but.. Okay this can be temporary. For now if you need me out of your way, you need some space, just tell me, okay? We all live on top of each other enough, we all have escapes,”  
“Yeah,” Finn agrees and reaches for Poe who shuffles back round to face the horizon and leans against Finn’s shoulder.  
“How’s your back?”  
“Can’t feel it,” He shrugs and then shifts and Poe doesn’t really want to lean too much of his weight on him even if he doesn’t want to say it hurts. “The scar pulls a bit when I move but nothing aches like it has been,”  
“Good, might still need some painkillers tonight though, stiff muscles and the like,” He says and beside him he traces random patterns in the sand  
“My painkillers used to make me pass out when I first started taking them outside the medical unit,” Finn says as he thread his fingers with Poe’s I passed out in the mess hall one time and by the time I woke up Jess and Snap had drawn things all up my arm and over my shoulders. This whole star battle with X-wings and TIE fighters,” He leans away slightly and traces with his free hand all the way up his arm to show Poe. “She even drew BB8 in your x-wing,”  
“Mum had a tattoo of her and Dad’s A-wings over her shoulder, right here,” Poe spread a hand over the back of Finn’s shoulder. “Always wanted to get something like that done myself, remind me of them,”  
“Will you tell me about your family?” Finn asks, leaning his head against Poe.  
“There’s not a lot to tell. They fought for Leia and the rebel alliance, for peace in the galaxy. They had me and grew old on Yavin Four. I’m practically following in their footsteps. They knew it’s what I wanted to do, and what was right but they didn’t find it easy to know I was risking my life for a cause y’know,”

“You fly,” Finn says.  
“Uh, yeah,” Poe says, not understanding Finn’s point.  
“But you said about escapes, flying is your escape too,” He says and Poe has to laugh at the truth of it.  
“Yeah, half the base thinks it’s my one true love,” He smiles. There’s never been anything quite like it for Poe by any means,“They might be right”  
“And the other half?” Finn asks.

“Thinks it’s BB8,” Poe glances over at the droid who’d resumed sunning itself. BB8 chirps out an indignant question, “Hey, I do love you!” He feels Finn chuckle beside him and squeezes his hand.“Dad died a few years ago, mum soon after. Once mum lost him and couldn’t take her A-wing up any more, she just lost the will y’know. I feel a little like that too sometimes. If I was grounded for the rest of my life I don’t know what I’d be able to do,”

“You could train someone else to go up in your place. End up like Maddox,” Finn suggests, “Or maybe not with your reputation,”  
“What reputation?” Poe feigns indignation but he’s well known as a pushover.  
“Getting bested in five seconds flat,”  
“You’re cockier than when I left,” He bumps Finn’s side and smirks.  
“Sorry,”  
“It’s not a bad thing,” Finn glances up at him and then leans away looking back to the ground. “I didn’t expect to come back and have, well, this with you. I feel like I must be dreaming,”  
“Have we done this too fast?” Finn asks and Poe squeezes Finn’s hand again.  
“What? No. Maybe. It’s great but it’s a lot, all at once. Right?”  
“Snap told me about his wife. He said they made too many decisions too fast,”  
“What do you want?” Poe asks, “To stop? To take it slow?”  
“I don’t know,” Finn half shrugs but he won’t look back up at Poe.

“Mum used to say she regretted not taking every chance with my dad. It took them four years to get together because they were afraid every mission would be their last and it’s hurt too much. But even if it had been they would have had something good in whatever time they had.” Poe says and then looks up to Finn to see if he understood. When Finn continued to frown he continues, “By not wanting to risk their future happiness they didn’t let themselves be happy with what they had, or could have had there and then. If you want this, anything like this, I don’t want to hold back because we might lose it,”  
“I understand that,” Finn says but there’s still hesitation in his expression.

“At the same time I don’t want to pressure you though, the same with sharing a room, and a bed, and everything. It’s all up to you, okay,”  
“But I can say I want everything and...” He trails off and looks up.  
“That’s okay too,” Poe says and he feels something huge and bright take root in his gut when Finn leans in and kisses him.


End file.
